Ahold USA earlier this month announced that Anthony T. Hucker will join Giant/Landover as division president, effective October 3, 2011. Hucker replaces Don
Sussman who has served as interim president of the division since the end of 2010 when then-president Robin Michel departed. Sussman will resume his role as executive vice president-supply chain for Ahold USA.
Hucker will have responsibility for Giant/Landover’s sales, operating profits, organization and people. The division, headquartered in Landover, MD, operates 173 supermarkets in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, and employs approximately 22,000 associates. Included within the 173 stores are 159 full-service pharmacies.
Commenting on the appointment, Carl Schlicker, CEO of Ahold USA Retail, said, “We’re excited to welcome Anthony, who brings a wealth of retail and food industry experience to Giant. Anthony takes over the helm of a business that is celebrating 75 years of providing the highest quality, value and service to customers in Washington, DC, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia, where 173 stores are woven into the fabric of each and every community they serve.”
Hucker has more than 25 years of experience in leadership, strategy and operations in international retailing. He joins Giant/Landover from Wal-Mart, where he most recently served as corporate vice president, head of Wal-Mart’s express division. He joined the mass merchandiser in 2004 and served in various executive leadership positions there, with increasing responsibilities.
Hucker began his career in the European retail industry as a food industry analyst. He then worked for 10 years with Aldi in leadership assignments in Germany, Austria and the U.S., and as part of the original start up team for Aldi UK.
Hucker is on the board of directors for CASA, serving the needs of neglected and abused children, and is a Member of the Marketing Committee for the Consumer Goods Forum. He holds a B.A. degree in retail marketing from the University of Manchester, UK and a diploma in International Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, UK.
In related Royal Ahold news, the company announced the appointment of Jeff Carr as executive vice president and chief financial officer, starting November 12, 2011. Carr will be a member of Ahold’s corporate executive board, pending shareholder approval. He will succeed Kimberly Ross who is leaving Ahold in November to become CFO of Avon.
Carr will be responsible for Ahold’s finance, real estate and IT functions. He will also manage the company’s existing 350 million euro cost reduction program and explore further ways to reduce costs and simplify the business.
“We are delighted to have an experienced finance professional of Jeff’s caliber joining our board,” said Dick Boer, CEO of Ahold. “He has an impressive track record and broad experience in the consumer goods and services industry on both of the continents where Ahold operates. Jeff has been CFO of listed companies since 2005, and has worked and lived in Europe and the United States. His background and expertise in finance will help us to pursue our growth strategy,” Boer said.
Carr, 49, is a British national. He is currently group finance director and a member of the board at UK-based FirstGroup, the leading transport operator in the United Kingdom and North America, including Greyhound in the United States and Canada. Before joining FirstGroup, he was group finance director and board member at easyJet, and held senior financial roles at Associated British Foods, Reckitt Benckiser, and Grand Metropolitan. He began his career at Unilever.
The Ahold supervisory board will nominate Carl for appointment to the corporate executive board at its annual general meeting of shareholders on April 17, 2012. Until then, he will be an acting member of the corporate executive board.